One word unlocks amazing memories of a single second in the past.

I looked at this word today and suddenly I was transported into the past. Not the recent past, but to my childhood. That one word conjured up the smell of paper and wax crayons in the setting of a classroom of a school long demolished. I could hear the voice of the teacher and see his face clearly. The image in the mind of the child that I was came clear. It was a woodland setting and it was being brought to life by that teacher with very few visual aids. I can see the boy sitting across the aisle from me. I do not like him, but I can clearly remember every feature as well as his name and the street where he lived. I can see others just as clearly. There is a faint smoky flavor in the air. Our teacher did indulge in cigarettes, but never in front of us. I can also recall my teacher wasn’t very truthful when he went off at a tangent to recount his life experiences. Hey, everyone wants to be a hero to someone, however small those someones are. The tall tails were fascinating.

How can one single buzz word bring such clarity? I have no idea. All I know is that for a brief moment it in or out of time, I was there, in that moment as it was.

How does this relate to writing? Life memories as well as research fuel a story. However, I am at a loss to know what to do with this one. And no, I am not planning on writing anything remotely to do with time travel. Way too many paradoxes with those babies.